Within three years, I envision each of the Small Homes shopping for groceries at an actual store that exists right where my current office sits, with other amenities common to a neighborhood being built...
The gems before you
By
Martie Moore
Jun 25, 2014
When I was a student nurse, I had a professor who said, “You will never know what gem is before you, unless you are willing to open your eyes and your heart.” Being young and excited about...
Dear, sweet stubborn grandmother!
By
Shelly Mesure, MS, OTR/L
Jul 09, 2012
I love my grandma dearly. She’s still going strong, living independently in a ranch-style house. But while her stubbornness may be the reason she lives such full and active lifestyle, it’s...
An insomniac’s dream
By
Gary Tetz
Mar 14, 2012
Finally, something else to lie awake worrying about. A news story last week cited a study suggesting that sleep quality should improve with age. Great. That’s all I need. More pressure.
Knitting a team
By
Gary Tetz
Apr 18, 2024
I can still remember the clicking of needles and the feeling of chunky strands of cotton passing silently between my fingers. It was early in my elementary school epoch, and we tiny people sat cross-legged...
Duct tape solves long-term care crisis
By
Gary Tetz
Mar 23, 2017
“Astonished” doesn’t even begin to cover the feeling. “Disappointed” is also woefully inadequate. To describe a recent, very public, wardrobe humiliation that occurred in...
Be your own data defender
By
Steven Littlehale
Sep 15, 2023
“Well, it’s clear that you’ve never set foot into a nursing home.” I know you’ve thought that while reading a memo from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services or your state agency, taking...
All the data points to … you tell me
By
Steven Littlehale
Jun 22, 2018
Returning from an early morning walk down to the harbor of this sleepy Cape Cod town, it’s hard not to feel hopeful. My geriatric pups Melvin and Theodore couldn’t get enough of the sea smells...
Who cares about Five-Star during a pandemic?
By
Steven Littlehale
Jun 15, 2020
Just as the sun continues to rise, the need to objectively monitor and evaluate care in nursing homes has not ceased, nor has the need for providers to continuously work on quality improvement initiatives.
Gideon was wrong
By
Gary Tetz
Mar 22, 2018
For every long-term care staff member who wolfs meals at your desk while multitasking on important care-related duties, this is my fervent hope and prayer: that the gruesome and disturbing story I’m...